Fire-escape.



PacencedI Aug. 22, |899. S. G. BURLEIGH &. T. BGELW.

F l R E E S C A P E.

(Application led Sept. 8, 1898.,

(No Model.)

I Inventors Witnesses- ;gmuel CBurZ e ish /yron Bzfela w Altornvey.

1n: wams ziens co.. Puoroumo., wAsmuarou, nA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

SAMUEL G. BURLEIGI-I AND MYRON T. BIGELOV, OFGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN; SAID BIGELOW ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO sAID BURLEIGII.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,763, dated .August 22, 1899. Application filed September 8, 1898. Serial No. 690,536. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL G. BURLEIGH and IWIYEON T. BIGELow, citizens of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes in which mechanically-actuated elevators are used for removing the occupants of upper stories in burning buildings; and its objects are, first, to provide a safe and reliable governor for regulating the descent of the carriages, and, second, to provide for automatically stopping the carriage before it comes in sudden contact with the ground or other solid foundation.

We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of our escape. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same, showing the action of t-he automatic brake. Fig. 3 is an edge View of the automatic brake; and Fig. 4 is a plan of the governor, showing the connection between the governor-shaft and the main shaft.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the construction of this fire-escape we build vertical guideways A of angle-iron or other suitable construction to form free substantial guideways for the passage of the carriage B. In the upper end of this guideway we place a main or windlass shaft C, upon which is wound the cord or cable F, that supports and carries the carriages B. In Fig. 1 it is indicated that two of these cables are used, which is designed to represent that two carriages are used. vIt will be noticed that the cables Wind from opposite sides of the windlass, so that the descent of a loaded car will elevate the empty car to the desired position, thus making each car the motive power by which to elevate the other. A

For the purpose of averting the danger of the descending car passing downward too rapidly we construct and apply a governor, as follows: We place a counter-shaft E in position to be driven by the main or windlass shaft C and cause it to revolve rapidly by the use of a multiplying-gear, as c and e. Near the opposite end of the shaft E we secure arms D", in which are supported sliding wings D, calculated to govern the descent of the carriage by the resistance of the atmosphere against the rapidly-revolving wings. To increase the efficiency of this governor, we place deflecting-wi'ngs D at the outer edges of the wings D at a proper angle to the main wings, so that the rapid motion of the governor will cause the glancing motion of the air upon these deflecting-wings to draw the main wings out radially from the center of the shaft, and thus increase the distance of the main wings from the center of the shaft, and as a consequence the leverage and consequent resistance of the governor, and thus insure a safe steady descent of the carriages regardless of the amount of weight it may be called upon to transfer from the higher to a lower elevation or plane. The main wings of this governor are exibly held to normal position by springs, as d, properly applied, as indicated in Fig. 4.

As the sudden jar of striking the ground with the full momentum of the car as it de` scends loaded would be likely to cause great discomfort, if not actual injury, to its occupants, as follows: We secure a brake-wheel, as H, upon the governor-shaft and place any desirable form of brake-shoe, as H', so arranged that it may be readily thrown to and from contact with the wheel. In Fig. l of the drawings we have shown an angle-lever H, having one arm'connected with the shoe and the other arm engaged by a cord or cable J, the opposite end of which is secured near the bottom of the tower or guideway A, as at j in Fig. 2, so that to draw it to one side, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, will cause it to draw heavily upon the arm of the anglelever, and consequently force the shoe firmly against the surface of the brake-wheel. To actuate this brake automatically, we pivot an arm, as I, to the carriage B in any convenient position and place at its upper end a freerunnin g sheave, as e", in position so that when the carriage is descending it will pass between the cord and the incline I', so that its we have arranged an automatic brake,V

IOO

the space formed'by the offset with the up- Y Ward passage of the carriage, so that it may again bein position to engage the incline and actuate the brake-cord upon its next doWn Ward passage. We find it desirable to make the back Wall of the offset upon an incline laterally, so that the sheavewill swing over and spring back, so as to insure contact Withl and traveling over the incline upon its next downward passage.

Having thus fully desoribed'our invention, whatwe claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-

l. In combination with the carriages, guide- Ways, elevating-shaft and cables of an elevator fire-escape; a rotary fan connected with the main shaft by multi ple-gear, sliding Wings in saidvfan arranged to slide radially by oentri'fugal force, and springs to return said Wi ngs to normal position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination With the carriages, guideways, cable and elevator-shaft; a rotary fan having radially-expanding Wings, springs to return said Wings to normal position, and dilverging wings at the outer edge of said radially-diverging Wings vto force said wings to diverge by their incline action upon the air as they pass through in their revolutions, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the carriages, guide- `Ways, elevator-shaft and cables of an elevator nre-escape; arevoluble fan-governor, and a :brake shoe andv'vh'eel connected with said governor, a oord connected with said shoe to actuate it to brake or release the brake-Wheel,

the lower'endof'saidcordsecured at the bottom of thevcarriage-tways', and :in-adjustable roller andan incline for actuating said cord to actuate the brake-shoe, substantially as set Signed at GrandRapids, Michigan, Septem-l ber 2, 1898;

` forth SAMUEL G. BURLEIGH; MYRON T. BIGELOV.

In presence of- ITHIEL J. CILLEY, STELLA CILLEY. 

